Have you been in your role for five years or more? Are you there because you love it… or because you feel a bit stuck?

In this episode, Sarah unpacks the difference between healthy staying and career stagnation, the subtle signs you might be stuck (even if things look “fine” on the surface), and practical steps to help you regain momentum, confidence, and clarity in your career.

If you’ve been questioning your next move or avoiding the question altogether - this episode will give you a powerful reset.

Show Notes

[00:00:00] Welcome & Podcast Overview

[00:01:00] Why This Topic Matters

A real client story sparks the question: are you staying because you’re thriving or stuck?

[00:02:00] The Big Question: Why Have You Stayed?

Exploring the difference between loving your role and feeling unable to leave.

[00:02:30] What “Healthy Staying” Looks Like

1. Ongoing learning and development
2. Expanding influence and impact
3. Increasing responsibility and stretch
4. Feeling energised and engaged at work

[00:04:00] When Staying Becomes Stagnation

1. Repetitive work with no growth
2. Lack of progression opportunities
3. Declining confidence
4. Comfort replacing challenge

[00:06:00] The Hidden Risk of Being Too Comfortable

Why growth requires “optimal anxiety” (not stress, but not stagnation either).

[00:07:00] 5 Signs You Might Be Stuck

1. Your learning curve has flattened
2. You’ve stopped advocating for yourself
3. You’re known for what you used to do
4. You feel invisible or overlooked
5. You keep saying “maybe next year”

[00:08:30] Why We Stay Too Long

1. Comfort and security
2. Eroded confidence
3. “Golden handcuffs” (salary, flexibility, benefits)
4. The busyness trap
5. Identity lock (“this is just what I do”)

[00:10:30] The Real Cost of Staying Stuck

How stagnation shrinks your confidence, identity, and sense of possibility.

[00:11:00] 3 Ways to Get Unstuck

1. Run a Career Audit: Ask yourself:

1. What am I learning?
2. What impact am I having?
3. Where am I growing?

2. Expand Before You Exit

1. Seek stretch projects
2. Increase your visibility
3. Redesign aspects of your role

3. Explore New Possibilities

1. Internal moves or secondments
2. New environments or industries
3. Reimagining your career direction

[00:13:30] A Personal Turning Point

Why staying in the same type of senior role no longer felt inspiring and what that revealed.

[00:14:00] The Wake-Up Call Question

“If nothing changed in your role for the next 3 years, would you feel excited or quietly disappointed?”

[00:14:30] Reflection & Next Steps

Encouragement to pause, reflect, journal, and seek support if needed.

[00:15:00] Closing Thoughts

You don’t need to blow up your career - but you do need to wake it up.

Resources & Next Steps

1. t
2. Explore the Strategic Visibility episode for practical ways to raise your profile
3. Reach out for coaching support if you’re ready to move from stuck to unstoppable

Useful Links

Take the Career Clarity Audit for personalised insight

Episode 47 How to get noticed in your career

Sign up for Weekly Career Inspiration

Learn about Leadership & Advancement Coaching Programmes

Book a Free 121 Clarity Call

Connect with Sarah on LinkedIn

Rate & Review the Podcast

If you found this episode of Unstuck & Unstoppable helpful, please do rate and review it on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

If you're kind enough to leave a review, please do let Sarah know so she can say thank you. You can always reach her at: sarah@careertreecoaching.co.uk